Performance evaluation of nursing students following competency-based education

An exploration of Irish nutrition educators' experiences of competency-based assessment in nutrition science education

BACKGROUND

Competency-based assessment (CBA) supports the development and attainment of skills required for the workforce. Little is known about educators' experience in developing or implementing CBA in nutrition science education or their opinions on how well it captures a student's preparedness for the workforce. The objective of this study was to explore educators' experience of CBA in nutrition education in Ireland.

METHOD

Grounded in interpretivism, in-depth, semi-structured, audio-recorded interviews were conducted with 13 educators from five of the ten undergraduate honours degree nutrition programmes across Ireland. Interviews explored experiences of CBA and perception of students training to prepare for the workforce. A reflexive thematic analysis approach was implemented whereby the data were transcribed, inductively coded, and themes identified.

RESULTS

A clear divide was evident between participants who were confident in their understanding of CBA and those who were unsure or had no knowledge of the term. Those with a clear understanding were more involved in programme development and evaluation. Three themes were identified: 'Assessment process' including intended learning outcomes, assessment design, and grading systems, 'Student-centred approach to assessment' focusing on work-based assessment and preparation for the workforce, and 'Upskilling educators' to equip educators with the skills and knowledge for professional development and to foster student success.

CONCLUSION

The importance of CBA as a student-centred approach, supporting them to meet standards expected to practice as a nutrition professional, was the key experience of educators. Training in CBA and inclusion of more authentic assessment may better prepare students for the workforce.

Flipped Classroom Based on Outcomes-Based Education Improves Student Engagement and Clinical Analysis Competence in Undergraduates Ophthalmology Clerkship

Objective

To investigate the effectiveness of flipped classrooms (FC) based on outcomes-based education (OBE) on clinical ophthalmology clerkships.

Methods

Ninety-nine undergraduates were non-randomly assigned to the FC based on the OBE (FC-OBE) group or traditional lecture (TL) group in the ophthalmology clerkship. Pre- and post-tests were performed to assess student learning outcomes. Anonymous questionnaires were collected to compare students' attitudes and classroom engagements between the two groups.

Results

More participants agreed FC-OBE was helpful in developing teamwork ability and knowing the work standard. Teaching staff in the FC-OBE classroom received higher evaluations. More participants in the FC-OBE group had higher classroom engagement in skills and emotions than in the TL group. The post-class test scores, mainly case analysis scores were higher in the FC-OBE group than in the TL group.

Conclusion

FC-OBE classroom improves student engagement and clinical analysis competence in undergraduate ophthalmology clerkship.

Trauma nursing competency in the emergency department: a concept analysis

OBJECTIVES

Despite numerous published concept analyses of nursing competency, the specific understanding of trauma nursing competency in emergency departments remains limited, with no clear definition. This study aimed to clarify the definitions and attributes of trauma nursing competencies in emergency departments.

DESIGN

Walker and Avant's method was used to clarify the concept of trauma nursing competency in emergency departments.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL and RISS were searched from inception to 23 April 2023.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Relevant studies that included combinations of the terms 'nurse', 'nursing', 'emergency', 'trauma', 'competency', 'capability' and 'skill' were selected. We restricted the literature search to English and Korean full-text publications, with no limit on the publication period; grey literature was excluded.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

This study uses defining attributes, antecedents and consequences extracted through data analysis. To aid comprehension of the model, related and contrary cases of the concept were created, and empirical referents were defined.

RESULTS

After excluding duplicates, irrelevant studies, incomplete texts and articles unrelated to the context and study population, 15 of the initial 927 studies were included. Five additional studies were added after a manual search of the references. The final concept analysis therefore included 20 studies. The attributes of trauma nursing competency for emergency nurses included 'rapid initial assessments considering injury mechanisms', 'priority determinations based on degrees of urgency and severity', 'clinical knowledge of trauma nursing', 'skills of trauma nursing', 'interprofessional teamwork' and 'emotional care'.

CONCLUSIONS

The concept analysis revealed that it is possible to promote the enhancement and development of trauma nursing competency in emergency departments across various contexts, such as clinical practice, education, research and organisational settings. This could ultimately improve trauma nursing quality and treatment outcomes.

The effect of outcome-based education on clinical performance and perception of pediatric care of the third-year nursing students in Mongolia

BACKGROUND

Mongolian government has set improvement of clinical proficiency of nursing students as one of its priorities. Nursing professionals have the sentinel role in providing healthcare services in rural areas. Outcome-based education (OBE) offers a promising pedagogical approach to actively mentally engage students to strengthen their clinical proficiencies. We implemented a pilot project with the objective of comparing students' clinical performance under OBE with our traditional didactic techniques.

METHODS

The researchers implemented a non-equivalent two-armed quasi-experimental post-test-only' design approach study. The intervention arm (n = 34) received OBE pediatric training, while the control arm (n = 32) received the traditional pedagogical pediatric nursing training. Each arm of the study completed 16 hours of theory, 32 hours of clinical skills practice and 32 hours of seminars in pediatric nursing care. Data were collected using a five-section instrument, Demographic, Competency Inventory, Nursing Students' Satisfaction, Course Experience, and Objective Structured Clinical Examination. Performance and knowledge proficiencies were evaluated by applying the two-sided independent T-test. The distributions of categorical variables were assessed by Fisher's exact test or chi-squared test of significance.

RESULTS

The intervention arm had higher mean score value in the competency inventory ([Formula: see text] = 238.70, SD = ± 23.07) compared to the control arm ([Formula: see text] = 222.11, SD = ± 39.94) (P = 0.04); similarly, the mean value for nursing students' satisfaction was higher for the intervention arm ([Formula: see text] = 117.87, SD = ± 15.94) compared to the control group ([Formula: see text] = 109.76, SD = ± 16.94) (P = 0.049). Additionally, the difference in the mean value for course experience questionnaire between the intervention arm ([Formula: see text] = 125.33, SD = ± 19.30) and the control arm ([Formula: see text] = 110.41, SD = ± 11.28) was statistically significant (P = 0.0001). Finally, the intervention arm had a higher mean value ([Formula: see text] = 85.40, SD = ± 6.11) for objective structural clinical examination compared to the control arm ([Formula: see text] = 81.56, SD = ± 7.01) (P = 0.023).

CONCLUSION

OBE pedagogical approach offers promising benefits to improving nursing students' clinical competencies; additionally, the OBE approach seems to increase students' satisfactions with their clinical curriculum.

Perspectives on competency-based feedback for training non-specialists to deliver psychological interventions: multi-site qualitative study of the EQUIP competency-based approach

BACKGROUND

The use of feedback to address gaps and reinforce skills is a key component of successful competency-based mental health and psychosocial support intervention training approaches. Competency-based feedback during training and supervision for personnel delivering psychological interventions is vital for safe and effective care.

AIMS

For non-specialists trained in low-resource settings, there is a lack of standardised feedback systems. This study explores perspectives on competency-based feedback, using structured role-plays that are featured on the Ensuring Quality in Psychosocial and Mental Health Care (EQUIP) platform developed by the World Health Organization and United Nations Children's Fund.

METHOD

Qualitative data were collected from supervisors, trainers and trainees from multiple EQUIP training sites (Ethiopia, Kenya, Lebanon, Peru and Uganda), from 18 key informant interviews and five focus group discussions (N = 41 participants). Qualitative analysis was conducted in Dedoose, using a codebook with deductively and inductively developed themes.

RESULTS

Four main themes demonstrated how a competency-based structure enhanced the feedback process: (a) competency-based feedback was personalised and goal-specific, (b) competency-based feedback supported a feedback loop, (c) competency-based feedback supported a comfortable and objective feedback environment, and (d) competency-based feedback created greater opportunities for flexibility in training and supervision.

CONCLUSIONS

A better understanding of the role of feedback supports the implementation of competency-based training that is systematic and effective for trainers and supervisors, which ultimately benefits the learning process for trainees.

Evaluating the Strengths and Barriers of Competency-Based Education in the Health Professions

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to define competency-based education (CBE) for pharmacy education and describe how strengths and barriers of CBE can support or hinder implementation.

FINDINGS

Sixty-five studies were included from a variety of health professions in order to define competency based pharmacy education (CBPE) and identify barriers and benefits from the learner, faculty, institution, and society perspectives. From the 7 identified thematic categories, a CBPE definition was developed: "Competency-based pharmacy education is an outcomes-based curricular model of an organized framework of competencies (knowledge, skills, attitudes) for pharmacists to meet health care and societal needs. This learner-centered curricular model aligns authentic teaching and learning strategies and assessment (emphasizing workplace assessment and quality feedback) while deemphasizing time."

SUMMARY

This article provides a definition of CBE for its application within pharmacy education. The strengths and barriers for CBE were elucidated from other health professions' education literature. Identified implementation strengths and barriers aid in the discussions on what will support or hinder the implementation of CBE in pharmacy education.

Enabling Factors for the Implementation of Competency-Based Curricula in Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy

OBJECTIVES

To review the implementation drivers of competency-based pharmacy education (CBPE) and provide recommendations for enablers.

FINDINGS

Competency-based education is an emerging model in the health professions, focusing on time-variable competency development and achievement compared with a time-bound, course-based, traditional model. CBPE is an outcomes-based organized framework of competencies enabling pharmacists to meet health care and societal needs. However, challenges need to be recognized and overcome for the successful implementation of CBPE. Competency drivers include defining the competencies and roles of stakeholders, developing transparent learning trajectories and aligned assessments, and establishing lifetime development programs for stakeholders. Organization drivers include developing support systems for stakeholders; facilitating connections between all educational experiences; and having transparent assessment plans, policies, and procedures that align with core CBPE precepts, including the sustainability of time-variability. Leadership drivers include establishing growth mindset and facilitating a culture of connection between workplace and educational environments, program advocacy by institutional leaders, accepting failures as part of the process, shifting the organizational culture away from learner differentiation toward competence, and maintaining sufficient administrative capability to support CBPE.

SUMMARY

The successful implementation of CBPE involves enabling the competency, organization, and leadership drivers that will lead to program success. More research is needed in the areas of creation, implementation, and assessment of CBPE to determine success in this model. We have reviewed and provided recommendations to enable the drivers of successful implementation of CBPE.

Effect evaluation of competency-based education (CBE) combined with multi-disciplinary team (MDT) teaching mode in respiratory rehabilitation nursing teaching：A randomized controlled trial

AIM

To explore the application effect of competency-based education (CBE) combined with multi-disciplinary team (MDT) teaching mode in respiratory rehabilitation nursing teaching.

BACKGROUND

Respiratory rehabilitation, as an important non drug treatment for chronic respiratory disease, started late in China, with low implementation rate in hospitals and insufficient knowledge of nursing staff. Therefore, it is urgent to cultivate high professional level nurses with strong professional ability.

DESIGN

A randomized controlled trial.

METHODS

We selected nurses from the respiratory and critical care department at a Grade III, Level A hospital in Beijing, who participated in the respiratory rehabilitation training program between March 2020 and August 2022, as our study participants. Participants were grouped using a random number method. Nurses who participated in the study from March 2020 to May 2021 were set as the control group, and the nurses who participated in the study from June 2021 to August 2022 were set as the test group. The control group used traditional teaching methods, and the test group used the CBE combined MDT teaching model. At the end of the test, the theory, operating skills, satisfaction and core competence were assessed.

RESULTS

After training, the theoretical examination score of the test group (93.71 ± 1.94) was higher than that of the control group (92.37 ± 1.92), the operational examination score of the test group (93.11 ± 2.12) was higher than that of the control group (91.61 ± 1.93), the overall teaching satisfaction of the test group (4.45 ± 0.50) was higher than that of the control group (4.13 ± 0.57), and the total score of the core competence of the test group (148.73 ± 7.08) was higher than that of the control group (141.02 ± 6.41). The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

CBE combined with MDT teaching mode has a good effect in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (PCCM) respiratory rehabilitation nursing teaching.

Examining Competency-Based Education Through the Lens of Implementation Science: A Scoping Review

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to identify evidence for the implementation and assessment of competency-based education (CBE) in health professions curricula using an implementation science framework.

FINDINGS

Using the PRISMA framework, a systematic review of the literature applying a prespecified and piloted search strategy from 2017 to the present in PubMed and CINAHL was performed. References identified from the search strategy were imported into Covidence for title and abstract screening and full-text review by 2 researchers. A third researcher resolved discrepancies. Data were extracted and synthesized to identify key elements from the article related to implementation science, with a quality appraisal. A total of 25 studies out of 304 initially identified records were included. The studies covered a broad range of health professions and countries. Key findings were limited use of implementation science elements, including variability in CBE implementation, limited fidelity assessment, and partial examination of the process continuum. Programs with a more robust implementation approach have a team-based strategy to lead, implement, and support CBE. Motivation and training of faculty are also key components of successful CBE implementation.

SUMMARY

Competency-based education is implemented differently across institutions, with variation among programs in their choice of elements of implementation science used. Further research is needed to examine CBE from an implementation science perspective and address remaining questions.

Generic competence among health sciences students in higher education - A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Highly competent health care experts are needed for the development of the social and health care sectors. More knowledge is needed on the levels of generic competencies that health sciences experts possess, particularly in the context of complex decision-making.

OBJECTIVES

To describe self-evaluated generic competence of health sciences students and its associated factors.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional observational study design.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 291 health science students in five universities in Finland participated in this study during the spring of 2022.

METHODS

The data was collected by using the HealthGenericCom instrument with 88 items and 8 sum dimensions using a five-point Likert scale (1-poor to 5-excellent): 1) competence in leadership, administration, and finance; 2) people-centred guiding competence; 3) competence of health promotion; 4) competence of evidence-based practice; 5) digital competence; 6) competence in work well-being and self-management; 7) competence in collaboration and problem-solving, and 8) competence in societal interaction. The K-means cluster algorithm was used to classify generic competence profiles to identify the profiles of health sciences students.

RESULTS

Four generic health sciences competence profiles (A = 18 %, B = 23 %, C = 33 %, D = 26 %) were identified. Profile A demonstrated the lowest level of most generic competencies in health sciences. Digital competence was shown to be at the lowest level among the participants, whereas competence in collaboration, problem-solving, and health promotion was evaluated as the highest competence level. The students evaluated their competence as being higher when they were older, were currently engaged in master's degree programmes, had completed work-based practical training in social and health care, and had varied work experiences or held leading positions.

CONCLUSIONS

Students need to improve their generic competencies in health sciences, with a particular focus on developing their digital competence. More focus should be given to work-based practical training.

Exploring the alignment between paramedicine's professional capabilities and competency frameworks for current and evolving scopes of practice: a literature review

BACKGROUND

To adequately prepare graduates for the dynamic demands of paramedic practice, adopting a contemporary educational approach is essential. This involves collaborating to identify crucial competencies through input from industry stakeholders, experienced practitioners, and discipline-specific experts. Accreditation assumes a central role within this framework, serving as a cornerstone to ensure that paramedicine curricula align with paramedics' diverse and evolving professional roles.

METHODS

A narrative review of the literature and a directed search of grey literature were performed to identify specific developments in paramedicine competencies and scope of practice and mapped to the professional capabilities published by the Paramedicine Board of Australia. In determining a competency map and accreditation's role in a competency framework specific to current and evolving paramedic practice, key documents were analysed using a qualitative approach based on content analysis to identify common traits among documents, countries and other professions.

RESULTS

The review process identified 278 themes that were further allocated to 22 major analytical groupings. These groupings could further be mapped to previously reported cognitive, technical, integrative, context, relationship, affective/moral competencies and habits of mind. At the same time, the highest-rated groupings were key competencies of intellectual skills, safety, accountability, clinical decision-making, professionalism, communications, team-based approach and situational awareness. Two groups were represented in the literature but not in the professional capabilities, namely Health and Social continuum and self-directed practice.

CONCLUSIONS

This review highlights the importance of measuring and validating the professional capabilities of Paramedicine Practitioners. The study explores various metrics and competency frameworks used to assess competency, comparing them against national accreditation schemes' professional capability standards. The findings suggest that accreditation frameworks play a crucial role in improving the quality of paramedicine practice, encompassing intellectual skills, safety, accountability, clinical decision-making, professionalism, communication, teamwork, and situational awareness.

Stakeholder Recommendations for Sports-Focused Undergraduate Nursing Curriculum: A Qualitative Study

Background

Growing demand for nurses in the sports medicine field has raised awareness in preparing prospective nurses with the basic concepts of sports nursing. Recognizing this need, nursing study program need to continue to evolve and the first step begin with the analysis of the major concepts related to various domains involved in the curriculum. Stakeholders are the most important people to get involved in the curriculum development process.

Objective

The purpose of this paper is to explore stakeholders' recommendation for establishing a strategy that would best enable the development of sports-focused undergraduate nursing curriculum.

Methods

We conducted a focus group discussion using a a series of open-ended questions. Nineteen stakeholders participated in this study. Data was analyzed using a thematic analysis.

Results

The results of this study found three themes consisting of sports nursing, advanced sports nursing, and sports in the discipline of nursing. On the theme of sports nursing, several sub-themes were obtained, the concept of sports nursing, the basics of sports physiology, adaptation of physiology to sports, psychology and sports injuries, problems in sports, education in sports, pathology in sports, and assistance in sports injuries.

Conclusion

Identifying, understanding, and managing Stakeholder involvement in curriculum development is the main driver for creating nursing study programs that focus on sports nursing. Nursing can contribute to sports and create more specific areas of expertise. Sports nursing.

Understanding competency of nursing students in the course of case-based learning in Cambodia: a convergent mixed method study

BACKGROUND

In the last decade, nursing education has begun to reform to competency-based education worldwide, including in low-and middle-income countries. Case-Based Learning (CBL), an approach to delivering competency-based education, contributes to acquiring critical thinking competency, problem-solving, higher knowledge, professional value and attitude. However, it needs to be taught in a culturally appropriate manner. In Cambodia, CBL was initiated in a classroom and clinical practicum by faculty and preceptors who graduated from the upgrading course. This study examined the factors associated with the competency level of nursing students, explored the practice and perceptions of teaching-learning activities among students, faculty members and preceptors and assessed the coherence of qualitative and quantitative findings.

METHODS

This was a convergent, mixed methods study. Data were collected from eight educational institutions for quantitative and qualitative studies and seven hospitals for qualitative studies. From June to September 2019, a cross-sectional survey of nursing students in the third year of the three-year programme (n = 719), eight focus group discussions (FGDs; n = 55) with 6-8 members and 15 FGDs with faculty (n = 38) and clinical preceptors (n = 37) with 4-7 members were conducted to elicit the teaching-learning experience and perceptions. Multiple linear regression was performed to investigate the factors associated with student competency. Moreover, the study conducted thematic content analysis on the qualitative data. The integrated analysis was presented as side-by-side joint displays.

RESULTS

First, the quantitative and qualitative findings confirmed each other 's CBL learning experiences. Students had higher levels of nursing competencies if they had CBL experiences, both in the classroom and clinical practicum, both in a group manner. Next, the quantitative and qualitative findings complemented students' academic satisfaction with the teaching by faculty members and preceptors. Finally, the quantitative and qualitative findings were expanded to explain students' academic satisfaction with the programme.

CONCLUSIONS

The finding of CBL experiences in a group and students' satisfaction with faculty members' and preceptors' teaching improved nursing students' competency development. Meanwhile, students' satisfaction with the design and delivery of the educational programme provides implications for policy level to narrow the theory and practice gaps in low- and middle-income countries.

Clinical competency and associated factors among undergraduate nursing students studying in universities of Southern regional state of Ethiopia, 2021

Background

Clinical practice is the means by which nursing students learn to apply the theory, facilitating integration of theoretical knowledge and practical skill in the clinical setting which becomes arts and science of profession. This correlation of theory and practice, and the building of meaningful experience, take place during clinical practice in the health care service. Even though, nursing students need to have clinical competency during practical setting, there were little available evidences regarding to their competency status in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess magnitude of clinical competency and its predictors among undergraduate nursing students studying in universities of Southern regional state of Ethiopia in 2021 G C.

Methods

Multi-centered institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among 414 undergraduate nursing students studying in eight universities of Southern regional state of Ethiopia in 2021 academic year. Systematic random sampling technique after proportional allocation to each selected university was used to select the study participants. Data were collected using pretested structured questionnaire by face to face interview after written informed consent was obtained from each participant. Data were cleaned, coded and entered into Epidata version 3.01 and analyzed using statistical package for social science (SPSS) software version 26. Descriptive statistic for all variables and bi-variable and multi-variables logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with clinical competency was computed and expressed in odds ratio. The result was presented in the form of text, tables and figures and those variables with P-value of <0.05 in multivariable analysis were declared as statistically significant.

Result

From 423 total calculated sample sizes, 414 of them were participated in this study giving a response rate of 97.8%. From those participants, 248 (59.9%) of them has clinical competency [95% CI: (55.18%, 64.62%)]. In multivariable analysis, studying in post basic program [AOR: 5.58], conducive clinical learning environment [AOR: 4.10], good staff-student interaction [AOR: 7.44], satisfaction [AOR: 20.66] and positive attitude towards clinical practice [AOR: 2.49] were factors significantly associated with clinical competency.

Conclusion

In this study, the overall magnitude of clinical competency was found to be unsatisfactory (59.9%). Studying in private program, non-conducive clinical learning environment, poor staff-student interaction, low satisfaction and negative attitude towards clinical practice were identified as factors associated with clinical incompetency. Policy makers, universities and teaching health facilities need to work collaboratively to create nurses with clinical competency by focusing on proper screening to select candidates for studying in private program, creating conducive clinical learning environment, integrating students with clinical staffs to facilitate learning and positive attitude change of students towards their profession to increase level of satisfaction.

When theory beats practice: the implementation of competency-based education at healthcare workplaces : Focus group interviews with students, mentors, and educators of six healthcare disciplines

BACKGROUND

Work-integrated learning constitutes a large part of current healthcare education. During the last decades, a competency-based educational (CBE) approach has been introduced to reduce the theory-practice gap and to promote continuous competency development. Different frameworks and models have been developed to support CBE implementation in practice. Although CBE is now well-established, implementation at healthcare workplaces remains complex and controversial. This study aims to explore how students, mentors, and educators from different healthcare disciplines perceive the implementation of CBE at the workplace. The six-step model of Embo et al. (2015) was used as a base: (1) competency selection, (2) formulating learning goals, (3) self-monitoring performance, (4) self-assessing competency development, (5) summative assessment of individual competencies, and (6) summative assessment of global professional competence.

METHODS

Three semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with (1) five students, (2) five mentors, and (3) five educators. We recruited participants from six different educational programs: audiology, midwifery, nursing (associate degree and bachelor), occupational therapy, or speech therapy. We used thematic analysis combining an inductive and deductive approach.

RESULTS

An overview of the predefined competencies was hard to find which complicated CBE implementation and resulted in a lack of consistency between the steps; e.g., the link between the selection of relevant competencies (step 1) and the formulation of learning goals based on these selected competencies (step 2) was absent. Furthermore, the analysis of the data helped identifying seven barriers for CBE implementation: (1) a gap between the educational program and the workplace, (2) a lacking overview of predefined competencies, (3) a major focus on technical competencies at the expense of generic competencies, (4) weak formulation of the learning goals, (5) obstacles related to reflection, (6) low feedback quality, and (7) perceived subjectivity of the assessment approach.

CONCLUSION

The present barriers to CBE implementation lead to a fragmentation of current work-integrated learning. In this way, theory beats practice when it comes to CBE implementation as the theory of CBE is not effectively implemented. However, the identification of these barriers might help to find solutions to optimize CBE implementation. Future research seems critical to optimize CBE so that theory can meet practice and the opportunities of CBE optimize healthcare education.

Emotional intelligence as a mediator between spiritual care-giving competency and core competencies in Chinese nursing interns: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The development of nursing interns' fundamental competencies should be a top focus because they represent an essential reserve for nursing professionals. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between spiritual care-giving competency (SCG) and nursing core competencies (NCC) among Chinese nursing interns, adopting a competency-based education (CBE) perspective, additionally, the study aims to examine how emotional intelligence (EI) serves as a mediator in this relationship.

METHODS

A nationwide online survey was completed by 1811 Chinese nursing interns at vocational colleges between June and July 2022 as part of a multi-site, cross-sectional, web-based study. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and competencies inventory for the registered nurse questionnaire (CIRN), the Chinese version of the spiritual care-giving scale questionnaire (C-SCGS), and the Chinese version of the Wong and Law EI scale questionnaire (WLEIS-C). Means, standard deviations, t-tests, one-way ANOVA analysis, and Pearson's production correlation coefficients were calculated using IBM SPSS25.0 software. Mediated effect tests and studies utilizing the process plug-in SPSS developed by Hayes.

RESULTS

The NCCs of college nursing interns were related to whether working as student leaders, whether have a better self-learning evaluation level, whether a college nursing intern with good interpersonal relationship, and whether they intend to engage in the nursing profession in the future. The scores of NCC, EI, and SCG were (156.43±23.14), (61.55±9.10), and (167.64±20.52) respectively. There were positive correlations among SCG (r = 0.402), EI (r = 0.506), and NCC. The partial mediating effect of EI between SCG and NCC was 0.127, accounting for 36.29% of the total results.

CONCLUSION

The average levels of Chinese college nursing interns' NCC and SCG were at a moderate level. EI is mediating between SCG and NCC in Chinese nursing interns. This new perspective shows that developing and improving SCG and EI may improve NCC. We suggest modifying the nurse curriculum and instruction to strengthen NCC and integrating SCG and EI management into the nursing curriculum.

Evaluating the Construct Validity of Competencies: A Retrospective Analysis

Background

A competency-based framework focuses on alignment between professional standards and assessment design. This alignment implies improved measurement validity, yet it has not been established that competence in one context predicts performance in another context. High-stakes competence assessments offer insights into the relationship between assessment design and competencies.

Methods/Analyses

The internationally educated nurses competency assessment program (IENCAP) was developed at Touchstone Institute in collaboration with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) and includes a 12-station OSCE. Each station evaluated the same 10 competencies. We submitted competency scores to a multi-trait multi-method matrix analysis to evaluate the convergent and discriminant validity of competencies.

Results/Observations

All correlations were significant and positive; however, we did not find evidence of convergent or discriminant validity. Correlations were higher between different competencies evaluated within the same station (mean correlation = 0.60) compared to identical competencies evaluated across different stations (mean correlation = 0.19).

Discussion

The results do not provide evidence of construct validity for competencies. While competency-based approaches emphasize various generalized knowledge, skills, and attitudes, these findings indicate that the clinical context is a major determinant of performance.

Conclusion

The context-dependent nature of competencies requires multiple assessments in varied contexts. Performance on a single competency cannot be determined in a single occasion.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-023-01794-z.

Effects of Microlectures on Nursing Students' Understanding of Key Medication Administration Concepts: A Quasi-Experimental Design

BACKGROUND

Microlectures comprise short audio or video presentations designed to provide a concise explanation of key concepts or topics.

PURPOSE

The study aimed to develop a microlecture module for a nursing course in medication administration and test whether it could improve learning.

METHODS

The study had a quasi-experimental design. Four classes of sophomore nursing students were divided into the treatment (n = 109) and control groups (n = 84). Pretests, posttests, integrated examinations, and simulated experiences were employed. Analysis of covariance were used to analyze the students' pretest, posttest, and integrated examination performances.

RESULTS

The treatment group performed better than the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides nursing educators with a different approach to traditional teaching and sheds light on how to design a microlecture.

The efficacy of team-based learning in developing the generic capability of problem-solving ability and critical thinking skills in nursing education: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

The gaps between employers' expectations, theory and practice are the most prominent and universal issues in nursing education. New graduate nurses seem to be academically equipped but cannot integrate their knowledge into practice as they enter the clinical settings. Employers expressed limited critical thinking skills are a common problem among new graduate nurses.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the efficacy of team-based learning (TBL) in developing problem-solving ability and critical thinking skills among nursing students and to identify the strategies used and obstacles to TBL in nursing education.

DESIGN

Systematic review (SR) of experimental and quasi-experimental studies.

DATABASE SOURCES

A thorough database search was done on 19 April 2022 with four electronic databases: Academic Search Premier, CINAHL Complete, ERIC, Medline/PubMed. Eligible studies from the 1990s to 2022 were selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria of this SR.

REVIEW METHODS

The PRISMA 2020 guideline was applied in this SR. The JBI Critical Appraisal Checklists were used to evaluate the quality of the selected studies. Four reviewers participated in the review process to ensure rigour and credibility of the study.

RESULT

The six studies reviewed included one randomised control trial, one crossover study, and four quasi-experimental studies. Two studies assessed the effectiveness of TBL in developing critical thinking skills and had shown in favour of TBL with statistically significant differences. Five studies evaluated the effectiveness of TBL in enhancing problem-solving ability. Three of five studies showed favour in TBL groups. The teaching strategies and obstacles in TBL use in nursing education were identified.

CONCLUSION

TBL may be considered a potential active-learner-centred approach to develop critical and problem-solving skills in nursing education. Further research is needed to identify the optimal duration of implementing TBL to develop nursing students' critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Capstone Core Competency Scale on Nursing Students in Taiwan

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have evaluated the competency of newly graduated nurses and nurses. However, most of the instruments used include a large number of items that make completing them a time-consuming process. A brief instrument may be more acceptable and feasible for use in these evaluations.

PURPOSE

This study was designed to develop the brief capstone core competency (CCC or 3C) scale and validate its effectiveness in evaluating the academic and practical performance of nursing students enrolled in a bachelor's degree program.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted. The 3C scale was developed in two phases. In Phase I, the items were summed from literature reviews, an expert panel, known-groups validity, test-retest reliability, internal consistency reliability, and exploratory factor analysis. In Phase II, the efficacy of the instrument was confirmed using confirmative factor analysis. Five hundred ninety-six participants participated in the first phase, and 520 participants participated in the second phase. The study period was 2016-2017.

RESULTS

The 3C scale includes 24 items distinguished into a three-component structure that accounts for 67.85% of the total variance. The three components include nursing intelligence, nursing humanity, and nursing career. The 3C scale was found to have high levels of internal consistency reliability (.97) and test-retest stability reliability ( r = .97). A significant statistical difference in the performance level was examined between senior and junior nursing students. The hypothesized three-factor model fit index showed χ 2 / df = 1338.25/249, p < .001, goodness-of-fit index = .82, comparative fit index = .90, root mean square error of approximation = .09, and standardized root mean square residual = .06. The participants were found to have excellent nursing humanity competency.

CONCLUSIONS

The developed 3C scale exhibited satisfactory reliability and validity for use with nursing students. The 3C scale may be used to evaluate the performance of nursing students during their learning process, and the results may be used to evaluate changes in educational outcomes.

Detecting Learning Patterns in Tertiary Education Using K-Means Clustering

We are in the era where various processes need to be online. However, data from digital learning platforms are still underutilised in higher education, yet, they contain student learning patterns, whose awareness would contribute to educational development. Furthermore, the knowledge of student progress would inform educators whether they would mitigate teaching conditions for critically performing students. Less knowledge of performance patterns limits the development of adaptive teaching and learning mechanisms. In this paper, a model for data exploitation to dynamically study students progress is proposed. Variables to determine current students progress are defined and are used to group students into different clusters. A model for dynamic clustering is proposed and related cluster migration is analysed to isolate poorer or higher performing students. K-means clustering is performed on real data consisting of students from a South African tertiary institution. The proposed model for cluster migration analysis is applied and the corresponding learning patterns are revealed.

Competency-Based Education: Developing an Advanced Competency Framework for Indonesian Pharmacists

Introduction: Pharmacists need to be adaptable, flexible, and capable of advancing their practice to adapt to rapidly changing population health needs. We describe an educational approach to pharmacy workforce transformation in Indonesia through an advanced practice competency framework development using an “adopt and adapt” methodology.

Methods: The competency framework development process comprised a translation phase, an adopt and adapt phase, validation through a nationwide mapping survey, and a completion phase through leadership consensus panels. We conducted a forward-backwards translation of a previously validated Advanced to Consultancy Level Framework (ACLF) to yield the Indonesian Advanced Development Framework (IADF) draft. The subsequent adoption and adaptation process was conducted through a series of consensus panels. We validated the IADF through a nationwide workforce survey. The final phase included leadership consensus panels with the professional leadership body in Indonesia. We analyzed the qualitative data thematically and the quantitative data using a Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) technique.

Results: We identified conceptual challenges in adopting and adapting the existing ACLF, which were addressed by providing a national glossary and concrete examples. A total of 6,212 pharmacists participated in the national workforce survey, of which 43% had <2 years of post-license (post-registration) experience. The MCA results showed that practitioner self-assessment to the IADF could discriminate their career development stages. The results also indicated a four-stage career model (including early years career training). Embedding this model in a structured national training program will enhance the professional workforce development through a more structured career journey.

Conclusions: We describe the first validation of an advanced competency development framework for the pharmacy workforce in a non-Anglophone country, showing the possibility of transnational applicability of this framework. We argue that this methodology can be used in Low and Middle-income countries (LMICs) for the more rapid advancement of pharmaceutical care practice.

Content and Face Validation of a Novel, Interactive Nutrition Specific Physical Exam Competency Tool (INSPECT) to Evaluate Registered Dietitians' Competence: A Delphi Consensus from the United States

The nutrition-focused physical examination (NFPE) is an integral component of nutrition assessment performed by registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) to determine signs of malnutrition and other nutrition-related complications. Increased use of this essential skill among RDNs and the transformation of dietetics education to a competency-based model in the near future calls for appropriately validated tools to measure RDNs' NFPE competence. To fill the need for a validated competency tool, this study developed an Interactive Nutrition-Specific Physical Exam Competency Tool (INSPECT) utilizing the initial 70 items identified in the first phase of the study. The second phase of this study aimed to test the preliminary version of the INSPECT for content and face validity. An expert panel of 17 members provided consensus recommendations through the Delphi process. Internal consistency of the consensus was measured with Cronbach's alpha (α) and α of ≥0.70 was defined as acceptable a priori. Inter-rater agreement among the expert panel was determined using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and an a priori ICC of 0.75 to 0.9 was established as good and >0.9 as excellent agreement. The results showed acceptable face validity (α = 0.71) and excellent content validity for the INSPECT, with an internal consistency of α = 0.97 in the first round and α = 0.96 in the second round. The inter-rater agreement was also excellent with ICC = 0.95 for each of the Delphi rounds. A total of 52 items were retained from the preliminary version of the INSPECT. Open feedback from the experts allowed for the consolidation of 11 similar items for better scoring and evaluation and thus, a total of 41 items were included in the final version of the INSPECT. The final version of the INSPECT is currently being studied in real-life, multi-site clinical settings among practicing RDNs to examine construct validity, reliability, and item-level psychometric properties. Ultimately, the validated INSPECT will be available for the competency evaluation of RDNs practicing in clinical settings.

The effect of competency-based education on clinical performance of health care providers: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM

This study aimed to investigate the effects of competency-based education on the clinical performance of health care providers.

BACKGROUND

Having in mind the importance of developing an intervention to enhance the clinical performance of health care providers, the researchers carried out the present study to investigate the effect of competency-based education on the clinical performance of health care providers.

METHODS

This was a systematic review and meta-analysis carried out by searching six international electronic databases including PubMed, Ovid, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, ProQuest, Scopus and Google Scholar, as well as two national electronic databases including IranMedex and SID. The studies relevant to the research aims were included in the study. To assess the quality of the studies, the Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias Tool was used.

RESULTS

Based on the random effects model, competency-based education could enhance the clinical performance of the health care providers in the intervention group compared with that of the control group (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -2.717, 95% CI: -3.722 to -1.712). However, more recent studies have shown that competency-based education has little effect on clinical performance (β = -.255, 95% CI: -0.319 to -0.192, P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Competency-based education can enhance the clinical performance of health care providers. However, there is increasing concern over the attenuation of the positive effect of competency-based education on the clinical performance of health care providers, which deserves further studies.

The predict of metacognitive awareness of nursing students on self-confidence and anxiety in clinical decision-making

PURPOSE

This study was conducted to investigate the affect that metacognitive awareness in nursing students has on self-confidence and anxiety with respect to clinical decision-making.

DESIGN AND METHODS

The sample for this descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional study consisted of 186 nursing students who voluntarily participated. Data were collected using the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory and Nursing Anxiety and Self-Confidence with Clinical Decision-Making Scale. Correlation and regression analyses were then performed on the data.

FINDINGS

Nursing students' metacognitive awareness level explained the three subdimensions of self-confidence in clinical decision-making by 26.7% (r²  = 0.267, p < 0.01), 24.6% (r²  = 0.246, p < 0.01), and 26.8% (r²  = 0.268, p < 0.01), respectively. Nursing students' metacognitive awareness level explained the three subdimensions of anxiety in clinical decision-making by 3.7% (r²  = 0.037, p < 0.01), 3.2% (r²  = 0.03, p < 0.05), and 2.4% (r²  = 0.024, p < 0.05), respectively.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Clinical decision-making skills can be supported by increasing students' metacognitive awareness.

Clinical learning environment and graduating nursing students' competence: A multi-country cross-sectional study

The purpose of this study was to explore nursing students' perceptions of their final clinical learning environment and its association with their self-assessed competence, satisfaction with nursing education, and turnover intentions at graduation in six European countries. A multi-country comparative cross-sectional study was conducted with nursing students (n = 1746) from the Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, and Spain using the Nurse Competence Scale and the Clinical Learning Environment and Supervision scale. Nursing students' overall perceptions of their final clinical learning environment and supervision were positive in all the countries studied. The correlation between the students' perceptions of their final clinical learning environment and competence was statistically significant and positive. Satisfaction with the nursing program and clinical practicum and no consideration of career change were related to positive perceptions of the final clinical learning environment. Highlighting the importance of the supervisory relationship and pedagogical atmosphere, nursing students' positive perceptions of the final clinical learning environment and supervision contribute to a better level of self-assessed competence and satisfaction with the nursing program and clinical practicum, leading to lower turnover intentions.

Barriers in performing physical assessment among nursing students: An integrative review

Objectives

This study aimed to identify barriers in performing physical assessments among nursing students through integrative review study.

Methods

The literature were searched in Medline, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, ProQuest, and Taylor & Francis Online using the descriptors barrier, physical assessment, nursing student et al. Only English-language and peer-reviewed journal articles were included, and there were no year restrictions.

Results

Twelve articles were selected for review. Two aspects were extracted: the barriers included personal challenges, challenges related to nursing education, challenges related to clinical practice; establishing competency-based education learning as a method to reduce physical assessment barriers. Student competencies and experiences were influenced by various factors that collectively hindered their successful performance of physical assessments.

Conclusions

The review findings provide valuable insights into the complex issues involved in the performance of physical assessments and guidance for improvement in practice. A collaborative effort should be made to address the issues often faced by nursing students in performing routine physical assessments. Also, more constructive and competency-based teaching methods should be integrated into academic and clinical settings.

Determining nurse practitioner core competencies using a Delphi approach

BACKGROUND

Competency-based education (CBE) has been recommended for nurse practitioner (NP) education. To implement CBE, existing NP core competencies need to be reduced in number and refined.

PURPOSE

This study refined and reduced redundancy in the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) NP core competencies through the consensus of experts in NP practice. This study used the current NP Core Competencies (NONPF, 2017), the Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (AACN, 2006), and the Common Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Doctoral-Level Competencies (AACN, 2017a) because these documents are the competencies-accredited NP programs commonly used in curriculum development. The primary aim of this study was to refine and reduce redundancy of these competencies; a secondary aim was to ensure that the final competencies were clear and measurable.

METHODS

A Delphi approach was used to reach consensus among an expert panel who reviewed the core competencies via an online questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate median and interquartile ranges; content analysis was conducted with qualitative data.

RESULTS

Consensus was reached after 3 rounds and resulted in 49 final core competencies.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

This study provides the NP community with a manageable list of relevant, clear, and measurable competencies that faculty members can use to implement CBE in their programs.

Anaesthesia nursing competence: Self-assessment of nursing students

BACKGROUND

The importance of competence assessment in anaesthesia nursing education has increased since nurse educators and anaesthesia care employers have identified the gap between nursing education and nursing practice. In order to ensure nursing students' preparedness for entry into anaesthesia nursing practice, it is necessary to measure whether nursing students have achieved the required competence to practice as anaesthesia care providers.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the anaesthesia nursing competence of nursing students and to describe factors related to their anaesthesia nursing competence. This study will provide new knowledge to support the curricula of nursing education and new nurses' practice in anaesthesia care.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey design.

METHODS

Data from a sample of Finnish nursing students (n = 205) were collected by using an on-line/paper and pencil survey (the Anaesthesia Nursing Competence Scale, 7 categories) in 2017. The assessment was based on self-assessment and used a Visual Analogue Scale (0-100). Descriptive statistics, a Pearson correlation coefficient, independent sample t-tests and a multivariable regression were used to analyse the data.

RESULTS

The self-assessed overall competence of graduating nursing students was 59 (range 43-73). Approximately half of the students reached an acceptable level (60≤) and half did not. The highest self-assessed category was collaboration within patient care, and the lowest was knowledge of anaesthesia patient care. The number of credits, anaesthesia courses, and experience of clinical practice in anaesthesia nursing were significantly related to anaesthesia nursing competence.

CONCLUSIONS

Competence development in the knowledge of anaesthesia patient care should be considered in general nursing education. Student nurses' competence could be developed by providing more opportunities for theoretical studies and clinical practice in anaesthesia nursing. A specialised post-registration education in anaesthesia nursing might be one solution to overcome the limitations in the competence that general nursing education is not fully able to cover for anaesthesia nursing.

Learning outcomes of a flipped classroom teaching approach in an adult-health nursing course: a quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND

New teaching strategies must be developed not only to enhance nurse's competence but also to allow nurses to respond to the complex health care needs of today's society. The purpose of this study was to explore the learning outcomes of a flipped classroom teaching approach in an adult-health nursing course for students in a two-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.

METHODS

The study had a quasi-experimental design. An 18-week flipped classroom teaching approach was applied in an adult-health nursing course. In total, 485 nursing students enrolled in the study, with 287 in the experimental group and 198 in the control group. The Self-Evaluated Core Competencies Scale, Metacognitive Inventory for Nursing Students, Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale, and self-designed learning satisfaction questionnaire were used to evaluate the students' learning outcomes.

RESULTS

The experimental group showed a statistically significant increase in the overall scores for self-evaluated core competencies, the "self-modification" subscale of the Metacognitive Inventory for Nursing Students, and in overall self-directed learning readiness; further, they also showed high levels of course satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

A flipped classroom teaching approach had a positive impact on student's learning motivation and contributed to better learning outcomes in an adult-health nursing course. The flipped classroom combined with hybrid teaching methods is a suitable and effective learning strategy for a registered nurse (RN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program to tackle today's complex revolution in nursing curricula, and may enhance nursing students' abilities to address numerous challenges.

Mastery learning in a bachelor's of nursing program: the Roseman University of Health Sciences experience

BACKGROUND

Roseman University of Health Sciences (RUHS) developed and delivers a mastery learning curriculum designed for students to acquire the knowledge and skills to become competent nurses. Despite a trend in nursing education to adopt competency-based education (CBE) models, there is little in the nursing literature about programs based on a mastery model. The aim of this study is to describe an undergraduate nursing program built on a mastery learning model and to report on program outcome measures.

METHODS

The 18-month BSN nursing program is divided into blocks, varying in length and focusing on a single subject. Students must demonstrate mastery, defined as ≥90% on an assessment, to pass a block. Recognizing the critical nature of health care, educators seek methods to assure that practitioners become competent to perform the services they provide.Program outcomes reported include comparisons to national standards and RUHS student exit survey data.

RESULTS

From 2013 to 2017 the RUHS College of Nursing students' pass rates ranged from 82 to 97% for the National Council Licensure Examination exam compared to national pass rates between 81.8-84.5% during the same time frame. The program completion rate ranged from 86 to 100% and employment rates exceeded accreditation standards. Students reported overall satisfaction with their education as 4.38 and with the block system as 4.74 (5 point Likert scale).

CONCLUSIONS

Roseman University's mastery learning model appears successful as measured by high levels of student satisfaction, outcomes on exams, and degree completion when compared to national averages. The results suggest that other nursing and health profession's programs can develop a successful mastery based learning model.

The State of the Science on Clinical Evaluation in Nursing Education

AIM

The purpose was to synthesize the published evidence to present the state of the science in clinical evaluation research in nursing education.

BACKGROUND

Clinical evaluation is key to ensuring nursing students' clinical competence, application of knowledge, and critical thinking, all of which are important to patient safety and quality nursing care.

METHOD

Cooper's research synthesis method was used.

RESULTS

A comprehensive literature search resulted in 250 documents, of which 88 met study criteria. Topics were exhaustive but not mutually exclusive and included competence, instrumentation, congruence, teaching methods, objective structured clinical evaluation, faculty/preceptor issues with clinical evaluation, essential clinical behaviors, topic-based evaluation, decision-making about clinical grade, and clinical reasoning.

CONCLUSION

Nursing education science is in its infancy in many areas. Two areas most in need of future research are the need to accurately define and efficiently measure competence in the clinical area and the need for reliable and valid instrumentation.

Stakeholders' perspective about their engagement in developing a competency-based nursing baccalaureate curriculum: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Stakeholder engagement is the basis of an emerging and innovative educational model called competency-based education. However, although several studies have analysed the stakeholders' perspective in nursing, few studies have analysed the stakeholders' perspective in competence-based curriculum design. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyse the opinions and perspectives of stakeholders about the development of a competency-based baccalaureate nursing curriculum with stakeholder engagement.

METHODS

A phenomenological study was conducted. This method combines descriptive features (Husserlian) and interpretive phenomenology (Gadamerian). The interviews were ended when data saturation was achieved, specifically the redundancy of themes.

RESULTS

The content analysis identified three main categories: (1) a "bridge" that merges education and the work context, (2) stakeholder engagement - a contentious issue; and (3) stakeholder engagement - structuring a methodology.

CONCLUSIONS

Through the stakeholder engagement, university could have a constant interaction between the didactics and professional practice and could improve professional identity and job satisfaction among nurses.

The Differences in Basic Social Competency and Relevant Factors Based on Years of Study Amongst University Nursing Students

Background

Basic social competency is defined as the fundamental ability necessary for working with diverse people in the workplace and community. This study aimed to clarify the differences in the basic social competency of university nursing students by year of study, and related factors.

Methods

The subjects were 305 first- to fourth-year university nursing students. A survey was conducted using a self-completed questionnaire. Analyses were performed by comparing basic social competency amongst different years of study, calculating correlation coefficients of occupational readiness and development of personalization and socialization with basic social competency, and multiple regression analysis of factors influencing basic social competency.

Results

The subjects analyzed were the 162 students who returned the questionnaire (the recovery rate was 53.1%, and the response rate was 100%). Basic social competency tended to decrease in second-year students and subsequently improved in fourth-year students. Specifically, the scores of Action and Teamwork were significantly high in fourth-year students. In addition, the correlation coefficient between occupational readiness and basic social competency was r = 0.566 (P = 0.01), r = 0.615 for the individual orientedness (P = 0.01), and r = 0.542 for the social orientedness (P = 0.01); and significant correlations were observed in these relevant factors. Multiple regression analyses revealed that basic social competency were influenced by occupational readiness, individual orientedness, and social orientedness (R ² = 0.47, F = 15.14, P = 0.00).

Conclusion

Basic social competency for university nursing students was significantly higher in fourth-year students, and the correlation with basic social competency was strong in the categories of occupational readiness and the development of personalization and socialization. It was suggested that clinical practice experiences promoted students' personal growth and socialization while preparing to take a nursing job and affected the development of basic social competency.

Core nursing competency assessment tool for graduates of outcome-based nursing education in South Korea: A validation study

AIM

To develop a competency assessment instrument for nurses who have completed an outcome-based educational program based on national standards and to assess the content-, construct-, and criterion-related validity of that instrument.

METHODS

In the development stage, the competencies of nurses with 1-3 years' clinical experience after the completion of nursing education and training programs, based on national standards, were identified. A systematic literature review was conducted to derive the competencies in addition to the 12 national standard competencies. In the evaluation stage, the content-, construct-, and criterion-related validity of the developed tool were verified. For verification of the content validity at each stage, the participants were 10 nurse managers of general hospitals and 10 nurse professors. A factor analysis was conducted to assess the construct validity and the Cronbach's alpha coefficients and item-total correlation were used to assess the reliability of the developed scale. For the factor analysis, the participants were 141 nurses with 1-3 years' clinical experience who were recruited from four general hospitals. In order to evaluate the construct- and criterion-related validity, the correlations between a nursing performance measurement scale, a self-leadership tool, and the developed scale were examined.

RESULTS

A competency assessment instrument, consisting of 19 items on a 4-point scale, was developed and validated for assessing the competencies among nurses with 1-3 years' experience.

CONCLUSIONS

Nursing research, policy awareness, and leadership competencies were required by the Korean Accreditation Board of Nursing Education for nursing college graduates, but were removed due to poor content validity, indicating a need for nursing professionals to bridge the gap between educational standards in nursing colleges and clinical settings.

The effectiveness of outcome based education on the competencies of nursing students: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Outcome Based Education (OBE) is a student-centered approach of curriculum design and teaching that emphasize on what learners should know, understand, demonstrate and how to adapt to life beyond formal education. However, no systematic review has been seen to explore the effectiveness of OBE in improving the competencies of nursing students.

OBJECTIVE

To appraise and synthesize the best available evidence that examines the effectiveness of OBE approaches towards the competencies of nursing students.

DESIGN

A systematic review of interventional experimental studies.

DATA SOURCES

Eight online databases namely CINAHL, EBSCO, Science Direct, ProQuest, Web of Science, PubMed, EMBASE and SCOPUS were searched.

REVIEW METHODS

Relevant studies were identified using combined approaches of electronic database search without geographical or language filters but were limited to articles published from 2006 to 2016, handsearching journals and visually scanning references from retrieved studies. Two reviewers independently conducted the quality appraisal of selected studies and data were extracted.

RESULTS

Six interventional studies met the inclusion criteria. Two of the studies were rated as high methodological quality and four were rated as moderate. Studies were published between 2009 and 2016 and were mostly from Asian and Middle Eastern countries. Results showed that OBE approaches improves competency in knowledge acquisition in terms of higher final course grades and cognitive skills, improve clinical skills and nursing core competencies and higher behavioural skills score while performing clinical skills. Learners' satisfaction was also encouraging as reported in one of the studies. Only one study reported on the negative effect.

CONCLUSIONS

Although OBE approaches does show encouraging effects towards improving competencies of nursing students, more robust experimental study design with larger sample sizes, evaluating other outcome measures such as other areas of competencies, students' satisfaction, and patient outcomes are needed.

Student Competency Perceptions From Associate Degree to Bachelor Degree Completion

BACKGROUND

A curriculum evaluation gap was addressed by exploring the final year of the Oregon Consortium of Nursing Education (OCNE) curriculum through student perception of competency and benchmark proficiency.

METHOD

Researchers used a mixed-methods design to explore RN to baccalaureate (RNBS) student self-assessment data on perceived benchmark proficiency. Students' written statements were coded into four attainment categories, ranging from not attained to strong.

RESULTS

Researchers categorized strong attainment in the competencies of intentional learning, relationship-centered care, and clinical judgment, with moderate attainment in ethics, communication, health care team collaboration, and reflection on self-care. Competencies related to leadership, practicing within a broader health care system, and application of evidence in practice had limited attainment.

CONCLUSION

The results support using attainment categories in the measurement of student self-reported competency. The findings could be used to support course and curriculum evaluation, student advising, and coaching, as well as to improve professional development opportunities for students moving through the curriculum. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(10):581-590.].

Global Workshops in Midwifery Competency-Based Educational Methodologies: Lessons Learned

The LancetSeries on Midwifery and The State of the World’s Midwifery 2014 called on countries to expand the midwifery workforce as a key strategy to improve the health of women and newborns and lower maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality. Well-prepared midwife teachers and preceptors are required to prepare midwives to provide competent, high quality care for women and childbearing families. This article describes the design of competency-based education (CBE) capacity development workshops building on the International Confederation of Midwives’ (ICM) essential competencies and education standards, led by eight English-, Spanish-, and French-speaking CBE Master Educators (MEs). Common content and processes used in three English, one Spanish, and one French workshop are briefly described, noting the influence of participants’ backgrounds, location, and teacher preferences in modifications to common content. As of December 2016, 30 CBE Master Teachers and 22 CBE Teachers have attended a CBE capacity development workshop and, in turn, have provided CBE continuing education (CE) sessions for more than 300 midwife teachers and preceptors in over 20 countries in the Caribbean, Latin America, and Anglophone and Francophone Africa. Lessons learned are shared along with suggestions for next steps in assessment and evaluation of the use of CBE in midwifery education programs.

Genetic Counseling Milestones: A Framework for Student Competency Evaluation

Graduate medical education has recently increased focus on the development of medical specialty competency milestones to provide a targeted tool for medical resident evaluation. Milestones provide developmental assessment of the attainment of competencies over the course of an educational program. An educational framework is described to explore the development of Genetic Counseling Milestones for the evaluation of the development of genetic counseling competencies by genetic counseling students. The development of Genetic Counseling Milestones may provide a valuable tool to assess genetic counseling students across all program activities. Historical educational context, current practices, and potential benefits and challenges in the development of Genetic Counseling Milestones are discussed.